Department for Transport

Railways: North of England

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to receive the consultant's report into the proposed freight line between Liverpool Docks and Yorkshire, via a reinstated Colne–Skipton line;when they expect to publish it; and what the next steps for the project will be.

baroness vere of norbiton: Work is advancing well. We expect to receive the outputs of the further feasibility work on the Colne-Skipton reinstatement soon, complementing the initial Strategic Outline Business Case completed in December 2018. These will inform the Government’s decision as to whether a reinstatement scheme should progress to the ‘develop’ stage of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. The results of the feasibility work will be published at that point. This is part of our new approach to rail enhancements to ensure we address the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of schemes.

Railways: North of England

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the report produced by Steer on the proposed freight line from Liverpool to Yorkshire, via the reinstated Colne–Skipton line.

baroness vere of norbiton: We will publish the reports on the feasibility work into the reinstatement of the Colne-Skipton line, including the initial Strategic Outline Business Case prepared by Steer in 2018, once the work is complete and we understand the full picture. My officials continue to engage with key stakeholders, including the local SELRAP campaign group, on this feasibility work and the findings of the Steer report, which has been shared with the group.

South Western Railway: Strikes

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) social, and (2) economic, effects of the South Western Railways strikes which began on 2 December.

baroness vere of norbiton: The RMT’s decision to take industrial action is completely disproportionate. Every single train which did not run as a result of these totally unnecessary strikes affected thousands of passengers during an incredibly busy period for the railway. The impact is on not only commuters, but also on a whole range of people who rely on the railway – children travelling to school, outpatients travelling to hospital appointments and small businesses that count on the railway bringing in customers and suppliers.

Railways: Strikes

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban strikes on the railways.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government will introduce legislation to guarantee that, in times of strike action on rail, a pre-agreed minimum level of train services is provided. The purpose of this is to ensure that in future, the rights of those wishing to take strike action are balanced with the rights of those who need to travel and who rely upon the railway to go about their daily lives.

Abellio Greater Anglia: Standards

baroness scott of needham market: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Abellio Greater Anglia about the service disruptions to rural routes within their franchise area.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department has been in regular and frequent contact with both Greater Anglia and Network Rail since the start of the disruption on the rural routes within the Greater Anglia franchise area. Signalling problems on those routes caused cancellations and disruption for passengers whilst additional safety checks took place and the issue was investigated. We have raised with the rail industry the need to resolve this matter as swiftly as possible.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Higher Education: Admissions

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis, if any, they have conducted into whether there is any relationship between increases in the number of university students in the UK and levels of productivity over the last 20 years; and what were the results of any such analysis.

lord duncan of springbank: The Office of National Statistics estimates that around a fifth of the rise in productivity between 1994 and 2019 can be attributed to improvements in the quality of the workforce. This is largely as a result of an increase in the share of overall hours worked by people with higher education qualifications. That is to say: more graduates in the labour market has led to an increase in productivity. This is consistent with other studies Productivity is the main driver of long-run economic growth, and a key determinant of standards of living; in the long-run, the UK’s ability to improve living standards is almost entirely dependent on its ability to raise productivity. The Government’s Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost productivity by backing businesses to create good jobs and increase the earning power of people throughout the UK with investment in skills, industries and infrastructure. The Government recently published the Business Productivity Review in response to the Industrial Strategy’s core priority of addressing the UK’s productivity issue. The Government is investing £406 million in STEM and technical education and an additional £400 million in further education; the Government is also considering the recommendations of the Post 18 education funding review panel chaired by Sir Phillip Augar. This looked at how the post 18 education system can help deliver the skills the economy needs and improve UK productivity.

Ayrton Fund

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many least developed countries are benefiting, or will benefit, from the Ayrton Fund, announced at the UN General Assembly in September; and what forms of climate change in those countries will be addressed.

lord duncan of springbank: The Ayrton Fund is a commitment that the UK Government has made to spend £1bn on Official Development Assistance (ODA)-funded research, development and demonstration (RD&D) in clean energy technology and business models for developing countries over five years from April 2021. The commitment will address development challenges in low-carbon energy (supply), low-carbon societies (demand), and smart and flexible energy delivery and storage to meet a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Goals 7 and 13. Tangible examples of areas that the Ayrton commitment will seek to impact include: providing affordable access to electricity for some of the 1 billion people in ODA-eligible countries who are still off the grid, including through innovative solar technology for their homesenhancing large-scale energy technology to replace polluting diesel generators and ensure clean energy can be stored and not lostdesigning clean stoves like electric pressure cookers for some of the 2.7 billion people who still rely on firewood – with the smoke damaging their health as well as the environmentworking with energy-intensive industries and governments to achieve industrial decarbonisationsupporting the development of technologies and business models for sustainable cooling – residential air conditioning alone is expected to raise global temperatures by 0.5°C in the years aheaddesigning low-emission and electric vehicles to cut pollution and make transport systems cleaner and greener. The Ayrton Fund will be delivered through a series of expanded and new programmes and platforms, which will be available to all ODA-eligible countries, depending on the specific programme. Since some of these programmes and platforms are still to be developed, and since many will use open competitions to allocate the support, it is not possible to state at this stage exactly how many least developed countries will benefit (although they will all be potentially eligible).

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: Health Professions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the description of the arrests of medical personnel during a confrontation at Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University on 17 November, by Dr Darren Mann, and his call for an international inquiry into breaches of international humanitarian norms and human rights law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK was seriously concerned by the escalation in violence between protesters and the authorities at Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University. At the time, we made clear it was vital that those who were injured were able to receive appropriate medical treatment, and that safe passage was provided to those who wished to leave the area. We take the allegations set out by Dr Mann relating to the arrest of medical personnel at Hong Kong Polytechnic University extremely seriously. We expect the Hong Kong authorities to abide by international humanitarian laws and practices. We have called consistently for a robust, independent inquiry into recent events.

Hong Kong: Health Professions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of medical professionals in Hong Kong; and what representations they intend to make to the government of China about such treatment.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We take allegations of the mistreatment of medical personnel in Hong Kong extremely seriously. We expect the Hong Kong authorities to abide by international humanitarian laws and practices. It is vital that those who are injured are able to receive appropriate medical treatment.The Foreign Secretary summoned the Chinese Ambassador on 19 November and set out his concerns about the situation in Hong Kong. The leadership in China and Hong Kong is in no doubt about the strength of UK concern over the current situation, and our commitment to seeing the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Joint Declaration upheld. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Hong Kong SAR Government and the authorities in Beijing.

Iraq: Islamic State

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to respond to statements by victims of ISIS genocide in Mosul and Sinjar provided by Lord Alton of Liverpool; whether any victims of such crimes have been approached for witness statements; and what progress is being made in collecting evidence and bringing those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity to justice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has not, to date, received the statements in question.The British Government has not directly approached survivors of Daesh crimes for statements. However, we continue to support the UN Investigative Team for the Accountability of Daesh (UNITAD) and announced an additional £1 million in funding in July to exhume mass graves across Northern Iraq and to collect witness testimony. UNITAD have facilitated the provision of witness testimony directly into domestic court proceedings in Finland via video-link. UNITAD continues to support cases in other countries too.

Persecution of Christians across the Globe Independent Review

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how, and when, they intend to fully implement all of the recommendations in the Bishop of Truro's Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published in July.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is committed to implementing the recommendations from the Bishop of Truro’s Review in a way that will bring real improvements to the lives of those persecuted because of their faith or belief. The recommendations have been divided into short, medium and longer term priorities and we have already implemented a good number of them. This includes recently appointing a Director General level champion for Freedom of Religion or Belief and marking Red Wednesday in support of persecuted Christians and members of other minority groups. Some of the recommendations will take longer to implement and many will require an ongoing effort to embed into the working practices of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other departments.

Syria: Sanctions

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 October (HL17990), what further steps they have taken to minimise the impact on civilians of sanctions imposed on Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria, and have committed £2.81 billion to support Syrian civilians since 2012.Sanctions remain a key lever in pressing the regime to engage seriously with the political process and to bring about a peaceful end to the Syrian conflict.We actively seek to minimise the impact of sanctions on ordinary Syrians. The EU regularly considers the wider impact of Syria sanctions, most recently ahead of an EU annual review of the Syria sanctions regime which concluded in June. The EU Syria sanctions regime also has a number of exemptions in place in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Nigeria: Violence

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria about reports of multiple attacks, by Fulani militia in Northern and Central Belt states, of torture, murder and the destruction of homes, churches and villages.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain concerned by intercommunal violence in Nigeria and the devastating impact it has had on affected communities including heavy loss of life. We continue to push for a solution that meets the needs of all communities affected. We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Nigeria at the highest levels. The Secretary of State for International Development raised the issue with the Nigerian Vice President and the Governor of Kaduna during his visit in July. He highlighted how factors including ethnicity, religion and climate change are driving intercommunal violence across Nigeria. The UK, including the British High Commission in Abuja, will continue to engage closely with the federal government, state government, international partners and the National Economic Council to help address the underlying issues that cause conflict.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that evidence gathered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Fact Finding Mission was suppressed or distorted.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has full confidence in the expertise of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon's (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission (FFM) and its work investigating allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria. The Director-General confirmed that that the OPCW Technical Secretariat took all views and evidence into account in reaching its conclusions in the FFM's most recent report on the incident in Douma, 7 April 2018. The UK stands by its own assessment that the Syrian regime was responsible for a chlorine attack in Douma on that date.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that chlorine levels found in Douma, Syria, were equivalent to those found in common household cleaning products.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK assesses that the Syrian regime was responsible for a chlorine attack in Douma in April 2018. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission (FFM) produced a thorough and clearly evidenced report, which concluded that an attack using chlorine took place. The use of chlorine as a chemical weapon is a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. We have confidence in the conclusion and the OPCW's methodology. The OPCW Director-General confirmed that that the OPCW Technical Secretariat took all views and evidence into account in reaching its conclusions on this incident.

Mediterranean Sea: Offshore Drilling

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported agreement between Turkey and Libya concerning undersea resources in the Mediterranean; and what plans they have to propose that any such agreement is submitted for international arbitration.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware that Turkey and Libya signed a Memorandum of Understanding in late November on the "delimitation of maritime jurisdictional areas in the Mediterranean". It has been our consistent position that maritime boundary disputes should be resolved in accordance with international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Russia: Ukraine

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Paris negotiations between Russia and Ukraine; how they reached any such assessment; and what consideration they have given to modifying the Minsk guidelines to support such negotiations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The United Kingdom welcomes the commitments made at the Normandy Summit on 9 December. These commitments, which include comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange, are key to securing a diplomatic solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. We fully support France and Germany in their efforts towards securing the implementation by all parties of the Minsk Agreements. In this regard, we applaud President Zelenskyy’s clear commitment and determined actions to end the conflict and repeat our call on Russia to fulfil its obligations.

China: Uighurs

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement delivered by the UK Permanent Representative to the UN at the Third Committee session on the Committee for the elimination of racial discrimination and the conclusions of the United Nations on the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjang.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 29 October at the UN Third Committee, the UK read out a joint statement signed by 22 others drawing attention to the human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and called on China to uphold its obligations to respect human rights. We assess that it is important to regularly raise the human rights situation in Xinjiang at multilateral fora and privately with China, and have made clear to China that we will continue to do so until our concerns have been addressed.

South Sudan: Politics and Government

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage opposition factions in South Sudan led by Riek Machar toform and maintain a unitygovernment; and what protectionis provided to such factions by the international community alongside the government of Salva Kiir.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK continues to urge all parties to the September 2018 ‘Revitalised Agreement on the Conflict in South Sudan’ to make the progress necessary for a government of national unity to form and to uphold the associated ceasefire. The DFID/FCO Minister for Africa (Andrew Stephenson) wrote to both parties in November to urge them to make such progress for the sake of the people of South Sudan. Following agreement by the parties to extend the ‘pre-transitional’ phase to February 2020 we have welcomed meetings in Juba between President Kiir and opposition leader Dr Machar but call for further dialogue to deliver progress so that a government of national unity can form and for implementation of the next phase of the peace agreement to begin. This messaging was reinforced at the recent UN Security Council on 18 December 2019. Security in Juba and elsewhere in South Sudan is an important part of building the confidence for opposition parties to participate in a government of national unity. Most recently alongside Troika partners (US and Norway) we issued a statement on 2 January urging the parties to engage in a spirit of compromise on outstanding tasks. As a member of the UN Security Council the UK supports the UN Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS), including through the deployment of UK troops. UNMISS plays a crucial role in supporting the peace process and protection of civilians. Security for political figures to participate in government in Juba is critical but part of the wider peace agreement implementation and for the parties to progress.

Northern Ireland Office

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

lord hennessy of nympsfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the funds allocated to Northern Ireland in support of the Confidence and Supply Agreement of June 2017 have been drawn down, broken down by category; what, if any, sums remain to be drawn down, broken down by category; and what is the schedule for the drawing down of any remaining funds, broken down by category.

lord duncan of springbank: The financial annex to the Confidence and Supply Agreement sets out the allocation of the £1 billion made available to Northern Ireland. This is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conservative-and-dup-agreement-and-uk-government-financial-support-for-northern-ireland £763 million of this funding has to date been allocated to the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Allocations by category are tabulated below. CategoryC&S commitmentAllocatedInfrastructure400400Broadband1503Severe Deprivation10040Immediate pressures health and education100100Health Transformation200200Mental Health5020Total (£m)1000763

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Professions: Training

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the announcement that nursing bursaries are to be reintroduced, what plans they have to support nurses, midwifes and other healthcare professionals with any debt incurred before the reintroduction to support their study and training.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We have committed to 50,000 more nurses in the National Health Service by 2025 and our new financial support package is crucial to delivering this.Eligible pre-registration students on nursing, midwifery and many allied health students’ courses at English universities from September 2020 will benefit from additional support of at least £5,000 of non-repayable funding, with up to £3,000 additional funding for some students, who choose to study in regions or specialisms struggling to recruit, or to help with childcare costs, which they will not have to pay back.The Government has no plans to introduce a scheme that will backdate the offer for students who completed courses in earlier years.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards to protect (1) patient confidentiality, (2) intellectual property, (3) data, and (4) other materials, from inappropriate use have been built into the agreement to share NHS health data with Amazon.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: No patient data is being shared with Amazon as part of this agreement. The collaboration with Amazon simply connects people to information that is already freely available through the National Health Service website. Use of Amazon Alexa is an alternative mechanism for accessing that information. Patients already use Alexa and other devices to search for information on a range of health issues. This agreement ensures that the information they receive from Alexa is medically verified by the NHS instead of from a range of other sources, such as non-United Kingdom websites.This agreement is not exclusive. There are over 2,000 other organisations that are accessing and using information from the NHS website in a similar way.The agreement signed between the Department and Amazon is clear that none of the data generated through voice search using Alexa will be shared with third parties; that it will not be used for selling products or making product recommendations to Amazon users; nor is it building any form of health profiles on Amazon customers.All information is treated with high confidentiality and Amazon use multi-factor authentication to restrict access, service encryption, and audits of our control environment to protect it. The information that Amazon collects is only used to train its speech recognition software and natural language understanding systems, so Alexa can better understand the requests of users and ensure the service works well for everyone. No Amazon employee has direct access to information that can identify the person or account, and Amazon have the appropriate measures in place to ensure General Data Protection Regulation compliance.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what incomethey have received as a result of the agreement to share NHS data with Amazon.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The service provided by Amazon connects people to medical information that is already freely available through the National Health Service website. Patients already use Alexa and other devices to search for information on a range of health issues. This agreement ensures that the information they receive from Alexa is medically verified by the NHS instead of from a range of other sources, such as non-United Kingdom websites.The agreement signed between the Department and Amazon is designed to enable greater numbers of people to access information accredited by the NHS, helping to put people in control of their own healthcare. This agreement is not exclusive. There are over 2,000 other organisations that are accessing and using information from the NHS website in a similar way.There is no cost to the taxpayer, nor have we received any income as a result of the agreement to share this freely available information from the NHS website with Amazon. This new service through Alexa will enable a greater number of people to access it and help them to manage their own healthcare.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what monitoring arrangements in relation to (1) patient confidentiality, (2) intellectual property, and (3) other data, have been built into the agreement to share NHS health data with Amazon.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The agreement between the Department and Amazon is clear that none of the data generated will be shared with third parties; that it will not be used for selling products or making product recommendations to Amazon users; nor is it building any form of health profiles on Amazon customers.NHS Digital are working closely with Amazon to assess the effectiveness of the service. The algorithm used by Amazon is still learning and will be updated continuously to learn how people are asking questions about health conditions.All information is treated with high confidentiality and Amazon use multi-factor authentication to restrict access, service encryption, and audits of our control environment to protect it. No Amazon employee has direct access to information that can identify the person or account, and Amazon have the appropriate measures in place to ensure General Data Protection Regulation compliance.Patients already use Alexa and other devices to search for health information on a range of health issues. This agreement ensures that the information they receive from Alexa is medically verified by the National Health Service instead of from a range of other sources, such as non-United Kingdom websites.This agreement is not exclusive. There are over 2,000 other organisations that are accessing and using information from the NHS website in a similar way.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government why several sections of the contract to share NHS data with Amazon were redacted when placed in the public domain.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The agreement between the Department and Amazon is about using content from the National Health Service website to provide reliable and informative answers to basic health questions asked to Amazon’s virtual assistant voice service, Alexa. This content is already freely available on the NHS website. Patients already use Alexa and other devices to search for information on a range of health issues. This agreement ensures that the information they receive from Alexa is medically verified by the NHS instead of from a range of other sources, such as American websites.This agreement is not exclusive. There are over 2,000 other organisations that are accessing and using information from the NHS website in a similar way.A limited number of clauses have been redacted due to being exempt under Section 43(2) of the Freedom Of Information Agreement, which exempts information where the release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any entity, including the public authority holding the information.In this case, we consider that the release of the redacted clauses would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of Amazon on the basis that it would make public the non-standard terms that Amazon has been willing to enter into in respect of this agreement. Disclosure of the redacted clauses has potential to prejudice existing agreements between Amazon and other parties, which could result in other parties challenging Amazon over the terms and conditions of their agreements.In addition, certain personal information has been redacted in the agreement. This information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of Freedom Of Information Agreement as disclosure of this personal information would breach the data protection principles. In particular, we consider that the disclosure of this personal information would be unfair and breach the first data principle.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the contract with Amazon to share health data from the NHS was put out to competitive tender.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The agreement with Amazon is non-exclusive and we want to work with other organisations to arrange for the content to be provided on other home devices. There are currently over 2,000 other organisations using content from the National Health Service website.This is a mutually beneficial collaboration that will enable greater numbers of people to access health information accredited by the NHS, helping to put people in control of their own healthcare. The information being provided to users of Alexa devices asking questions is already freely available through the NHS website. This is an alternative mechanism for delivering that information. Patients already use Alexa and other devices to search for information on a range of health issues. This agreement ensures that the information they receive from Alexa is medically verified by the NHS instead of from a range of other sources, such as non-United Kingdom websites.NHS Digital and NHSX have built an interface (known technically as an API, or Application Programming Interface) to content on the NHS website so that other organisations can use it to make NHS information available through their own sites. It is freely available.The service available through Alexa enables a greater number of people to access certified NHS information from a trusted source, instead of potentially misleading information from a range of worldwide websites where the information may not have been clinically assessed.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they gave any consideration to the potential development of an NHS app to provide the service that has now been contracted to Amazon to share health data from the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: There is already an app, called the NHS App, which provides the same information as the National Health Service website on a range of conditions, their symptoms and their treatments. More modes to access medically verified NHS information will give United Kingdom citizens a better understanding of different medical conditions. The agreement with Amazon is convenient for those who rely on voice-activated technology, in particular blind and visually impaired people. This is a mutually beneficial collaboration that will enable greater numbers of people to access information accredited by the NHS, helping to put people in control of their own healthcare. The information being provided to users of Alexa devices asking questions is already freely available through the NHS website. This is an alternative mechanism for delivering that information. Patients already use Alexa and other devices to search for information on a range of health issues. This agreement ensures that the information they receive from Alexa is medically verified by the NHS instead of from a range of other sources, such as non-UK websites.

Cheltenham Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what factors led to their consideration of removing the consultant-led Accidentand Emergency service at Cheltenham General Hospital.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to retain a consultant-led Accidentand Emergency service throughout the day at Cheltenham General Hospital; and if so, for how long.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include the option of retaining a consultant-led Accidentand Emergency department at Cheltenham General Hospital in their forthcoming consultation.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and (2) the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, about the consultant-led AccidentandEmergency service at Cheltenham General Hospital; and what was the outcome of any such discussions.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the option of removing Accidentand Emergency consultants from Cheltenham General Hospital during the day will be included as part of their forthcoming consultation.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to reinstate a 24-hours a day, seven days a week consultant-led Accidentand Emergency at Cheltenham General Hospital; and if so, when.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: There are no plans to close Cheltenham General Hospital’s (CGH) accident and emergency (A&E) and NHS England and NHS Improvement is clear that any potential solution developed as part of One Gloucestershire’s Fit for the Future public engagement programme will not include any such plans.NHS England and NHS Improvement envisages the same workforce in the department and this includes a consultant-led service at Cheltenham’s A&E department.Options for public consultation have not been drawn up at this stage. There are no formal proposals developed which include removing the consultant-led A&E service at Cheltenham.Discussions have taken place between the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Following these discussions, the Secretary of State confirmed on 23 October 2019 that no proposals to close Cheltenham A&E would be included in the forthcoming consultation.CGH’s A&E department is consultant-led from 8am-8pm and overnight (8pm – 8am) the service is led by specialist emergency nurse practitioners. This arrangement, which has been in place since 2013, was in response to a lack of middle grade doctors and has preserved and ensured the continuation of high-quality care for patients in Gloucestershire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Options for public consultation have not yet been drawn up due to the pre-consultation engagement phase, which is ongoing.

Physiotherapy

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyphysiotherapists are required by the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Following publication of the interim People Plan on 3 June 2019, a full NHS People Plan is in development. This will set out the workforce implications for all staff groups, including physiotherapists, in delivering the NHS Long Term Plan priorities.

Physiotherapy

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many physiotherapists are employed by the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.As at September 2019, the latest available data, there were 19,977 full time equivalent physiotherapists employed in National Health Service trusts and CCGs.

Physiotherapy

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the target waiting time for an appointment with an NHS physiotherapist.

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time for patients to see a NHS physiotherapist.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Physiotherapy services are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups. This includes agreeing and monitoring the waiting time to access services rather than this being set nationally.A count of first outpatient attendances and the average (mean and median) waiting time in days, where the treatment specialty is physiotherapy, is shown in the following table. Data is for the 2018-19 financial year.YearFirst attendancesMean waiting time (days)Median waiting time (days)2018-191,404,63936.725Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (NHS Digital)

Physiotherapy: Private Sector

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of physiotherapists employed in the private sector.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS Digital publishes data biannually on staff in some independent sector healthcare organisations in England, mainly data from large organisations. The latest available data as at March 2019, shows that there are 2,270 full time equivalent (FTE) physiotherapists in 56 independent sector organisations which provided data. The data presented for the independent healthcare provider workforce does not represent the entire workforce employed across the whole of this sector and does not only show the staff providing National Health Service-commissioned services. These statistics relate to the workforce directly employed in a range of independent healthcare provider organisations in England and may include staff on maternity leave and career breaks. Independent healthcare provider workforce: qualified staff working within the care setting 'physiotherapy' as at 31 March 2019, experimental statistics.All qualified staff working within the care setting 'physiotherapy'2,270Consultant therapist/scientist in physiotherapy-Manager in physiotherapy178Therapist in physiotherapy2,080Instructor/teacher in physiotherapy9Tutor in physiotherapy3

Health Services: British Nationals Abroad

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure continued access for British citizens to health services in the EU after Brexit, including continued access to the benefits of the European Health Insurance Card.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The agreement we have reached with the European Union is that until 31 December 2020 there will be no changes to reciprocal healthcare access for pensioners, workers, students, tourists and other visitors, the European Health Insurance Card scheme, or planned treatment. People who have settled in the EU or United Kingdom before 31 December 2020, will continue to have life-long reciprocal healthcare rights provided they remain covered under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. This means existing healthcare arrangements will not change for those UK nationals who are resident in the EU and EU citizens in the UK before 31 December 2020, for as long as they are living in that country and covered by the agreement. We want to continue discussing the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the EU as part of the future relationship discussions.

Air Pollution: Mental Health

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by Environmental Health Perspectives, published on 18 December, which linksair pollution with higher rates of mental health issues.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: No assessment has been made of this research published by Environmental Health Perspectives.Public Health England is currently supporting the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants on reviewing the available evidence on the impact of air pollution on cognitive decline. A report is due to be published in spring 2020.

Air Pollution: Health Hazards

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impact of air pollution on the NHS, particularly in the winter.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Public Health England published a cost analysis tool in 2018 for estimating the health burden and costs to the National Health Service and social care system arising due to diseases related to air pollution. Figures are available at the national and local levels including future cost estimates. No specific estimations made by season are available. The tool to help local authorities estimate the burden of air pollution on the health care system, Estimation of costs to the NHS and social care due to the health impacts of air pollution, is attached.



Costs to NHS and Social Care Estimation Report
(PDF Document, 1.19 MB)

Department for International Development

UK-Africa Investment Summit

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their priorities for the UK–Africa Investment Summit being hosted by the UK in January 2020.

baroness sugg: The UK-Africa Investment Summit will create new lasting partnerships that will deliver more investment, jobs and growth. This will benefit people and businesses across Africa and in the UK. The IMF estimates that Africa is home to eight of the world’s 15 fastest growing economies. By 2050, over 2 billion people will live in Africa and 1 in 4 global consumers will be African. But African countries receive less than 4% of foreign direct investment and around 20 million jobs a year must be created to keep pace with population growth. Hosted by the Prime Minister, the Summit will bring together UK and African business representatives, African leaders and delegations from 21 countries, international institutions and young entrepreneurs. As we strengthen our place in the world, we want the UK to be the investment partner of choice for African nations. We have world-leading expertise on tech and innovation, the City of London is the number one global exchange for African businesses, and we are committed to green growth.

UK-Africa Investment Summit

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government which (1) governments, (2) international organisations, and (3) businesses, have been invited to attend the UK–Africa Investment Summit being hosted by the UK in January 2020.

baroness sugg: The Summit will bring together African leaders and delegations from 21 countries who have been invited: Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda.6 multilateral organisations and international financial institutions have also been invited: African Development Bank, African Union, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, World Bank.We have invited hundreds of UK and African business representatives and representatives from Civil Society Organisations.

Syria: Terrorism

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what humanitarian resources they have committed, bilaterally and multilaterally, to victims of terrorism in northern Syria since the withdrawal of the United States from that territory.

baroness sugg: The UK remains committed to providing vital humanitarian support to the victims of conflict and terrorism in Northern Syria. To date, the UK has committed £40 million in humanitarian aid to North East Syria and another £40 million to North West Syria for financial year 2019/20. This forms part of an overall UK commitment of £400 million to the regional Syria crisis this financial year. This funding includes £72 million spent by DFID in humanitarian projects inside Syria between January and June 2019, which has provided: 26,676 food rations, each covering the food needs of one individual for one month; 144,745 people with clean drinking water; 1,177,930 vaccines; 352,598 people benefitted from relief packages; 7,993 people benefitted from cash-for-work activities and 27,960 people benefitted from psychosocial support.UK support to Northern Syria is provided on the basis of humanitarian need and delivered through United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations. It focusses on providing life-saving supplies such as food, water, shelter, mental health services and healthcare, as well as helping communities recover from life under Daesh rule, for example by supporting farmers and local businesses. In consultation with partners, my Department keeps under constant review what additional support might be needed to support those affected by recent fighting.

Overseas Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution the Department for International Development made to (1) core, and (2) non-core, funding in (a) 2017–18, and (b) 2018–19, to the (i) United Nations Population Fund, (ii) World Health Organization, (iii) UNICEF, (iv)Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, (v)International Planned Parenthood Federation, (vi) Women and Children First UK, (vii) Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and (viii) UN Women.

baroness sugg: Department for International Development’s Official Development Assistance funding to selected multilateral institutions by (1) core and (2) non-core for 2017 and 2018 calendar years. 20172018 Core (£m)Non-core (£m)Core (£m)Non-core (£m)United Nations Population Fund20.0120.520.0147.7World Health Organisation19.5105.529.5133.0United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)48.0390.148.0391.5Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS15.0015.00International Planned Parenthood Federation0000Women and Children First UK0000Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria317.10360.00United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women12.56.212.54.3

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much bilateral expenditure the Department for International Development spent directly targeting HIV and AIDS in (1) 2016–17, and (2) 2017–18.

baroness sugg: DFID spent the following directly targeting HIV and AIDS under the two relevant OECD Development codes, 13041 and 13042:2016/17 = £ 27.1 million2017/18 = £ 12.3 millionThese data do not capture spend on related programming on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, including research and health systems strengthening.Given their greater reach and scale, the majority of our investments to the HIV response are now directed through organisations such as UNITAID, UNAIDS and the Global Funds to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The UK contributed £15 million per year in core contributions to UNAIDS in 2016/17 and in 2017/18.The UK made a £1.4 billion pledge to the Global Funds to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria for the 6th replenishment covering 2020 to 2023. This will support the firm commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.Data for all sector codes and spend are available on the Statistics on International Development website, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development-uk-gross-public-expenditure-gpex.

Developing Countries: Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much bilateral expenditure the Department for International Development spent directly targetingreproductive health in (1) 2016–17, and (2) 2017–18.

baroness sugg: DFID spent the following directly targeting reproductive health under the OECD Development codes 13021 (Reproductive Health Care) and 13081 (Personnel Development for Population and Reproductive Health):2016/17: £ 72.5 million2017/18: £ 72.5 millionThis does not include direct bilateral expenditure on family planning, which is reported separately.Data for all sector codes and spend are available on the Statistics for International Development website, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development-uk-gross-public-expenditure-gpex.

Overseas Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what wasthe actual UK Official Development Assistance level from1989to2019 inclusive.

baroness sugg: The table in the attached gives details of UK Official Development Assistance from 1989 to 2018. Provisional figures for 2019 will be published in the spring of 2020, with final figures published in the Autumn. 



UK ODA from 1989 to 2018
(Image, 23.44 KB)

Development Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the actual Overseas Development Assistance from Development Assistance Committee donors in (1) 2018, and (2) 2019.

baroness sugg: The table in the attached gives details of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) from Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donors in 2018. These data are collected by the DAC and are provisional. 



ODA from DAC 2018
(Image, 72.64 KB)

Development Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was theactual net Overseas Development Assistanceand gross national income ratios from Development Assistance Committee donors from (1) 2018, and (2) 2019.

baroness sugg: The table in the attached provides details of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and ODA: Gross National Income (ODA:GNI) ratios from Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donors for 2018. These data are collected by the DAC and are provisional. 



DAC Donor ODA 2018
(Image, 73.96 KB)

Department for Education

Universities: Admissions

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with UK universities about combating the student wealth divide in those applying to university.

baroness berridge: This government believes that a university education should be available to everyone who has the potential to benefit from it, and that higher education providers must continue to take steps to level the playing field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and other under-represented groups. All providers wishing to charge tuition fees above the basic fee level must have an access and participation plan agreed by the higher education regulator, the Office for Students. Through these plans, providers set out the targets and their planned activity to support improved access and successful participation for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups.The current student finance system removes financial barriers for those hoping to study and is backed by the taxpayer. The government provides maintenance loans and supplementary grants to help with the costs of living, targeting the most support at those from the lowest income families. Living costs support increased by 10.3% for eligible students on the lowest incomes in 2016/17 compared to the previous system. Further inflationary increases in living costs support have been made in each academic year since with a further increase of 2.9% announced for the 2020/21 academic year taking the support available for the lowest income students to record levels.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to interest rates or the amount borrowed. The repayment system is designed to be progressive and borrowers on lower incomes are not obliged to repay their loans, with outstanding debt written off after 30 years.

Ministry of Justice

Bronzefield Prison: Maternity Services

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey havetakenfollowing the disclosure of incidents involving pregnant women prisoners and their children at HMP Bronzefield.

lord keen of elie: The recent incident at HMP Bronzefield is tragic. As there are a number of ongoing investigations, including an investigation by the police, it is not appropriate to comment further on the specific details of the incident. We are currently undertaking a fundamental review of the Mother and Baby Unit policy and the policy on managing pregnant women in custody. This will conclude in 2020. In the meantime, all pregnant women are seen by a professional midwife at least fortnightly, or more frequently if required. Healthcare in prisons is provided by specially trained medics and nurses. Medical emergencies are dealt with by 999 calls and prisoners have access to an emergency bell to alert staff at night. Women in prison have access to the same range of services as they would in the community. Following the events at HMP Bronzefield, we have introduced hourly checks throughout the night for all heavily pregnant women, and fortnightly pregnancy review boards are being held for them, involving a multidisciplinary team, in addition to existing support provisions.

Marriage

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on their commitment in the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper to "explore the legal and practical challenges of limited reform relating to the law on marriage and religious weddings."

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the Marriage Act 1949 to make it a legal requirement for couples to civilly register their marriage before, or at the same time as, their religious ceremony.

lord keen of elie: The law has long made provision for couples, including Muslim couples, to marry in their place of worship in a way that gives them legal rights and protections. The Government shares the concern that some people may nonetheless marry in a way that does not, and without appreciating the consequences. The independent Sharia review has recommended an offence apply to religious celebrants marrying in a ceremonythat is outside the ambit of the Marriage Acts.. Any legislative proposal, including such an offence, must be thoroughly assessed for its fairness to all religious groups and for how far it could achieve the change of practice intended. That is why it is with the greatest care that the Government is continuing the exploration of both limited reform and non-legislative options that it began in detail in the spring. Separately from this exploration, the Law Commission has begun its weddings project. It will make recommendations for how the wider law on getting married in England and Wales can be systematically reformed in a way that is simple, fair and consistent.

Department for International Trade

Agricultural Products: Trade Agreements

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to exclude agriculture from future trade deals.

the earl of courtown: In negotiating free trade agreements after the UK leaves the EU, the Government will pursue an agenda that will deliver prosperity for the whole of the UK. Mandates for future negotiations are still under consideration and the Government will publish its negotiating objectives in due course. The Government has committed that the NHS will not be on the table in any trade agreement.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Educational Institutions: Fire Prevention

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in removing cladding made from Aluminium Composite Material from educational buildings.

viscount younger of leckie: Information on progress to remove Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding from student accommodation and publicly-owned schools can be found in the Building Safety Programme monthly data release. This can be found (attached) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-monthly-data-release-november-2019



Building Safety programme monthly data
(PDF Document, 762.75 KB)

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service: Planning Permission

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following their decision to call in the planning application for a UK Holocaust Memorial, whether all the evidence submitted to Westminster City Council will be fully considered.

viscount younger of leckie: Following the decision to call in the planning application for the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, the case will now proceed to a public inquiry overseen by an independent planning Inspector. The inquiry will consider evidence including that submitted to Westminster City Council, and is currently scheduled to begin on 27 May 2020.

Housing: Construction

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take, and intend to take, to encourage private housebuilders to preserve existing trees and plants in English cities during construction.

viscount younger of leckie: National planning policy makes clear that development should minimise its impacts on, and seek net gains for, biodiversity, including trees. Local authorities should impose Tree Preservation Orders on trees of special value, and use planning conditions to ensure that valued trees are not harmed by construction. The Environment Bill will give communities a greater say in the retention of local trees; empower local authorities to make net gain for biodiversity mandatory in certain circumstances; and give new impetus to the provision of trees, green space and other green infrastructure in our cities.

Buildings: Floods

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thecase for ensuring thatflood proofing is included in the designs for new domestic and commercial buildings.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government’s National Design Guide makes clear that well-designed places should identify measures for flood alleviation and climate change adaption from the outset of the process. National planning policy is also clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided. Where development is necessary, it should be made safe and resilient – and without increasing flood risk elsewhere.

Homelessness

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to combat the rise in homelessness.

viscount younger of leckie: This Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head. That is why we have committed to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament and to enforce the Homelessness Reduction Act.The Government has already taken important steps to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. This includes implementing the most ambitious legislative reform in this area in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act, which is transforming the culture of homelessness service delivery and actively prevents homelessness, meaning people will get the help they need quicker.The Government has already committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period to April 2020. In 2020/2021 we are providing a further £422 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. This marks a £54 million increase on what Government provided in 2019/20 and will go towards funding important programmes such as the Rapid Rehousing Pathway, the Rough Sleeping Initiative and the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant. In 2020/2021 we are providing a further £422 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Ministry of Defence

Weapons

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Humanity International's call for the development of an international political declaration to end the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas and to ensure support for the victims of these weapons.

baroness goldie: The UK is at the forefront of international discussions on the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas. Officials contributed extensively to the Vienna Conference on Protection of Civilians in Urban Warfare in October 2019, in which steps towards a political declaration were taken. The next round of negotiations will take place in Geneva in February 2020 and we will take an active role in those discussions in order to ensure humanitarian concerns are balanced against operational realities. In the UK's experience, support and assistance to victims of conflict is best provided through integrated social and economic development programmes in affected countries.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment: Disability

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make the framework for voluntary reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing a mandatory requirement for Disability Confident Leaders.

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to extend the voluntary reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing framework to include the number or proportion of disabled employees in each pay quartile.

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to require large employers to publish data on the (1) number, and (2) pay, of disabled employees.

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the wording in the framework for voluntary reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing so that it matches the definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010 and the Government Statistical Service's disability disclosure question.

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introducetargets for closing the disability employment gap; and if so, what dates they plan to set to meet those targets.

baroness stedman-scott: We announced on 2 November that new Disability Confident (DC) Leaders (Level 3) and Disability Confident Leaders applying for re-accreditation will need to use the voluntary reporting framework (VRF) to publicly report on disability employment. A copy of which is attached. Although there is flexibility in how employers can use the VRF, we expect that most DC Leaders would choose to combine it with their annual report and accounts. We developed the voluntary reporting framework with a group of employers and disability stakeholders. It is deliberately designed to be flexible, recognising that different employers start in different places. It does not require reporting on pay and we have no current plans to require pay reporting. Disability Confident leaders are now required to publicly report using the voluntary reporting framework and one of the measures the framework encourages is the number of disabled people employed. The definition of disability in the voluntary reporting framework is self-declared, asking employees if they ‘consider’ themselves to have a disability. The framework is both voluntary and flexible, designed based on feedback from employers and other stakeholders. If we choose to go further in future, we will look at the case for alignment with the definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010.We are committed to reducing the disability employment gap, and will report on progress regularly. We will consider the case for a target as part of our work on the new National Disability Strategy which we have committed to publish by the end of 2020.



Voluntary Reporting Framework
(PDF Document, 734.66 KB)

Employment: Disability

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evaluation, if any, they are undertaking into the Disability Confident scheme, including how the scheme is viewed by disabled people.

baroness stedman-scott: The Department for Work and Pensions commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct research with Disability Confident employers to understand the effect that signing up to the Disability Confident scheme has had on their attitudes and practices with regards to disabled people. We published the results of this research on 13 November 2018. The survey suggested the scheme has had a significant impact on disability employment practices, with half of those employers surveyed saying it had led to them taking on at least one disabled member of staff. The Disability Confident Business Leaders Group is constantly reviewing the scheme to ensure it remains effective in helping employers recruit, retain and develop disabled people. We also receive regular representations from the Disability Charities Consortium and other disabled people’s organisations. These reviews and representations have led to recently announced improvements, including requiring Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) employers to use the Voluntary Reporting Framework to publicly report on their disability employment.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Game: Birds

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission an independent review into the economic, environmental and wildlife impacts of driven grouse shooting.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government will consider the findings of the recently released Werritty Review which addresses these issues in Scotland. We will continue to work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between shooting and conservation.

Trees: Urban Areas

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefit oftrees in English cities; and what steps they intend to take to prevent any large-scale felling of such trees.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government recognises the value of urban trees in creating healthy communities and liveable places for people and wildlife. In our manifesto we pledged to plant more trees in towns and cities, and will expect all new streets to be lined with trees. The public care deeply about this issue, and the Environment Bill, which returns to Parliament in January, will include measures to increase the transparency of decisions over street trees. The proposed duty to consult will encourage authorities to consider concerns raised by the public, and have regard to these when making decisions – giving the public a say in the management of these important natural assets.

Pet Travel Scheme

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure continued access for British citizens to the EU pet passport scheme after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: The non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets is covered by the EU Pet Travel Scheme which has three categorisations of third country: unlisted, Part 1 listed and Part 2 listed. Third countries can apply to the European Commission to be listed under the EU Pet Travel Scheme. The UK submitted its application to allow the UK to become a Part 1 listed third country under Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations to the European Commission in January 2019. Should the UK become a Part 1 listed country, there would be little change to the current arrangements, with only minor changes needed for documentation and, in most cases, no change for owners from what they currently need to do in terms of their animal’s health preparation. It is now for the Commission to consider our application for listed status.

Agriculture

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Agriculture Bill will be introduced to Parliament.

lord gardiner of kimble: A new Agriculture Bill was announced alongside the Queen’s Speech and will be introduced shortly.

Home Office

British Nationality: Children

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to remove the fee charged by the Home Office to register children as British citizens; and whether they intend to refund those who paidsuch fees before the High Court ruling on 19 December.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling of the High Court on 19 December in the case brought by the Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens that there is a “mass of evidence” that the fee charged to children registering for British citizenship prevents many such children from registering British citizenship, leaving them feeling “alienated, excluded, ‘second-best’, insecure and not fully assimilated into the culture and social fabric of the UK.”

baroness williams of trafford: The judgment was handed down on 19 December, and we are carefully considering its implications, and next steps.

Hate Crime: Public Transport

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to tackle hate crime on public transport.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is clear that all forms of hate crime are unacceptable. The Government’s Hate Crime Action Plan 2016, and the refresh in 2018, contains a number of commitments to tackle hate crime on public transport. These include:The Department for Transport committing, in the July 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy, to run a public awareness raising campaign to increase disability awareness amongst all transport passengers; andWorking with local transport providers to ensure that bus drivers across England and Wales are fully equipped to challenge hate, including new guidance to support them.The 2018 Hate Crime Action Plan refresh also includes a number of broader actions addressing all forms of hate crime, including hate crime on public transport. These include:A review by the Law Commission into the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislation; andA wide-ranging national hate crime communications campaign to publicly address hate crime and make clear that it is unacceptable to target people on the basis of their identity.More widely, the British Transport Police (BTP) provides a policing service that meets the needs of all passengers and people who use or work on the railways. BTP has a firm commitment to responding to all reports of hate crime and it actively works with train operating companies and Network Rail to improve awareness, vigilance and reporting of information on hate crime incidents.

Metropolitan Police Service's Handling of Non-recent Sexual Offence Investigations Alleged against Persons of Public Prominence Independent Review

baroness cavendish of little venice: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Sir Richard Henriques, An Independent Review of the Metropolitan Police Service's handling of non-recent sexual offence investigations alleged against persons of public prominence, published on 4 October, whether they consider the Independent Office for Police Conduct to be fit-for-purpose; and if so, why.

baroness cavendish of little venice: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Independent Office for Police Conduct took 20 months to contact Sir Richard Henriques following his recommendation for an independent inquiry.

baroness williams of trafford: Following Sir Richard Henriques’ review in 2016 of the handling of Operation Midland, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) referred a number of allegations to the then Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).On 7 October 2019, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published the report of its investigation into three of the officers involved in Operation Midland. This report includes learning recommendations for a number of bodies, including the IOPC itself.Having an effective police watchdog to investigate allegations of wrongdoing is crucial to public confidence. The Government welcomes recent improvements by IOPC and further plans to improve. The Government will also introduce major reforms in early 2020, aimed at increasing the effectiveness, accountability and proportionality of the police complaints and discipline systems.At the Home Secretary’s request, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) are carrying out an inspection of the MPS to ensure learning from Sir Richard’s report and the IOPC’s investigation has been taken on board. The Government will decide whether any further steps are necessary following publication of HMICFRS’ report.

Independent Office for Police Conduct

baroness cavendish of little venice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what qualifications and professional experience they consider should be required of staff, apart from administrators,who work for the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

baroness cavendish of little venice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC);what plans they have, if any, to improve the performance of the IOPC; and to what timescale any such improvements will be made.

baroness williams of trafford: The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is an independent organisation. Operational decisions, including the qualifications and professional experience needed by staff to carry out investigations, are a matter for them.Since the reforms introduced by the Government to create the IOPC in January 2018, the organisation has seen substantial improvement in their operational performance. A summary of their performance for 2018/19 (the last full year for which figures are available) can be found in their Annual Report & Accounts. https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/Who-we-are/accountability-performance/IOPC_annual_report_and_accounts_2018-19.pdfFurthermore, the IOPC’s business plan https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/Who-we-are/accountability-performance/IOPC_Business_plan_2019-20.pdf sets out how they plan to build on these improvements in 2019/20.The IOPC’s performance is scrutinised by their unitary Board and the organisation is accountable to Parliament.

Cabinet Office

Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include election funding within the scope of the proposed Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission.

earl howe: As set out in the Queen’s Speech, the Commission will examine the broader aspects of the constitution in depth and develop proposals to restore trust in our institutions and in how our democracy operates. We are carefully considering the composition and focus of the Commission.I am unable to offer further detail at the moment, as the precise scope of the Commission’s remit and programme has not yet been decided. Further announcements will be made in due course and I would be happy to provide further information at that time.

Treasury

Exchange Rates

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey haveto require that all currency conversion rates should be expressed as a percentage mark-up on the interbank rate applying at the time of the conversion after Brexit.

the earl of courtown: HM Treasury does not publish or set the format for the presentation of exchange rate data.

Freezing of Assets: Libya

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount of tax collected from frozen Libyan assets held in the UK since the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011) S/RES/1973(2011).

the earl of courtown: Identifying tax receipts on frozen assets is complex, requiring entities on the sanctions list to be validated and matched against HMRC’s tax records. HMRC will do this as quickly as they can. The Treasury shall write to the Noble Lord shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library of both Houses.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current value of Libyan assets frozen in the UKas a result of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011) S/RES/1973 (2011).

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Libyan assets frozen in the UK have sustained a significant drop in value.

the earl of courtown: At close of business on Friday 28 September 2018 the approximate total value of frozen Libyan assets in the UK reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in the Treasury was £11.2 billion. The figures for 2019 are being finalised. OFSI undertakes an annual frozen asset review requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen assets in the UK to report to OFSI, from which this figure is taken. HM Government does not own or hold frozen assets as a result of UN and EU sanctions on Libya. It is the responsibility of individuals and entities (e.g. Financial Institutions) to ensure they comply with their asset freezing obligations under the relevant sanction’s regime. In 2019, OFSI identified an inconsistent figure relating to Libyan frozen funds reported by a financial institution when conducting the 2018 review, and contacted the institution for an explanation of the figure. The financial institution stated that an incorrect figure had been submitted in the previous year as part of its submission. This artificially inflated the figure reported to HMT for the 2017 review and therefore the overall level of frozen assets recorded for 2017. An incorrect submission to the Treasury does not represent a loss of frozen funds. There is currently no evidence to suggest that frozen funds have been depleted or moved. OFSI is currently investigating the discrepancy, but I cannot comment on ongoing cases and the financial institution cannot be named for legal reasons.

Social Security Benefits: Children

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was their total spending, in constant prices, on (1) child benefit, and (2) income-related benefits, for children for each year since 2000.

the earl of courtown: Child Benefit Total Child Benefit payments, in real terms at 2019/20 prices, since 2000 can be found in the Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2019 published by the Department for Work and Pensions. This information has been presented below (Table 1) for the years for which outturn data is available. Table 1 - Child Benefit expenditure, real terms (2019/20 prices), £billions2000-0112.62001-0212.62002-0312.52003-0412.92004-0512.82005-0612.72006-0712.82007-0813.12008-0913.52009-10142010-1114.12011-12142012-1313.72013-1412.62014-1512.62015-1612.62016-1712.32017-1812Notes:- Real terms, 2019/20 prices- Figures presented are based on outturn dataSource:- Benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019  2. Income-related benefits The information requested relating to Universal Credit is not held and can only be made available at a disproportionate cost. Expenditure in real terms is available in respect of Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance on child elements in DWP Benefit expenditure and caseload tables. Again, to be helpful, this information has been presented below (Table 2) for the years for which outturn data is available. Table 2 - Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance on child elements, real terms (2019-20 prices), Income Support (£millions)Jobseeker's Allowance (£millions)2000-014,2704422001-024,7744082002-035,1214062003-04*5,1513512004-054,3811912005-063,290312006-072,593152007-082,144-2008-091,749-2009-101,039-2010-11737-2011-12518-2012-13329-2013-14190-2014-15130-2015-1687-2016-1763-2017-1844-Notes:- Real terms, 2019/20 prices- Figures presented are based on outturn data- *since Apr 2004, financial support for children is normally provided through Child Tax CreditSource:- Benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019 Annual expenditure on tax credits cannot be broken down between Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits. However, this breakdown is available for the closely related measure of annual tax credits entitlement, and provided in Table 3 below. The main difference between tax credits entitlement and tax credits payments is that entitlement figures are based on the amounts households are entitled to once awards have been finalised, whereas payments are based on provisional awards which may differ from final awards, and can include payments and repayments in respect of earlier years.Table 3 - Annual entitlement to Child Tax Credit (introduced 2003-04), real terms (2019-20 prices), £millions2003-04n/a2004-0518,1282005-0618,2552006-0718,8742007-0819,3512008-0921,6532009-1023,3362010-1123,8152011-1224,6482012-1324,4052013-1423,9022014-1523,5192015-1623,1122016-1721,9352017-1820,494 Notes:- Figures for 2003-04 are not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. Source:- Nominal figures taken from Table 1.1 of HMRC’s Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics- Real terms 2019-20 prices. To convert the nominal figures into real terms, the GDP deflators published in March 2019 were used.- The estimates for 2016-17 and 2017-18 are affected by the introduction of Universal Credit.- This table does not include entitlement to Working Tax Credit or Working Families Tax Credit as they are not considered income related benefits for children, although they do contain some child related elements.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Racial Discrimination

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to promote anti-racism in sport.

baroness barran: The Government is clear that racism has no place in sport or society at large, in line with the sport and physical activity strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’, which has diversity and inclusion at its heart. Government remains supportive of a number of anti-racism initiatives that work with sports bodies from grassroots to the elite, including Show Racism the Red Card and Kick it Out. With Kick It Out stats demonstrating that racism constitutes 65 per cent of reports made via them in the 18/19 season, government will continue to call governing bodies to account for actions in this space. Over the past year the Government has led debates in the House of Commons on tackling racism in sport (on 22nd May 2019 and 12th July 2019), and hosted an Anti-Racism Summit in February 2019. This led to clear commitments to tackle racism in football stadia from the three main English football organisations in July 2019. Ministers and officials continue to speak to the FA and relevant football bodies to explore what more can be done. Grassroots sport clubs also receive support in tackling racism from our national sport council, Sport England, who provide free support and learning in running a club through its "Club Matters" programme.

Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the Data Protection Act 2018, following the introduction of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.

baroness barran: The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK’s data protection and rights framework remains fit for purpose and can continue to operate in a fast-changing landscape. The Government and the Information Commissioner’s Office keep legislation under constant review to ensure it keeps pace with technical and societal changes. There are powers in the Data Protection Act 2018, overseen by Parliament, to make changes using secondary legislation where appropriate.

Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have, if any, to ask the Information Commissioner's Office to issue further guidance on the scope of exemptions to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation in relation to (1) research and development, and (2) science and innovation; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce statutory instruments on those matters.

baroness barran: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is an independent regulator and has the power to issue guidance under the UK’s data protection legislation. The ICO has stated that it is working on guidance for Data Sharing, Direct Marketing and Journalism. They can produce their own guidance should they have concerns on a specific area of the law.

Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to transfer responsibility for data protection from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to another Government Department.

baroness barran: Questions about the machinery of Government are not made at Departmental level, but the Government attaches great importance to the issue of data protection and the role it plays in building a strong and trusted data economy.

Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Court of Appeal judgment in Lloyd v Google; and what action, if any, they intend to take as a result.

baroness barran: The Government is considering the implications of the judgment and will monitor any actions that may follow it, including any further stages in the legal process.

Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to replicate the provisions in the Republic of India's Data Protection Bill in relation to the state's right to access, control and process personal data obtained by private enterprises.

baroness barran: The Government has no plans to amend the UK’s Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) to replicate those provisions contained in the Republic of India’s Personal Data Protection Bill. The Government takes the protection of personal data and the right to privacy seriously. The DPA sets standards for protecting personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and ensures that our laws are fit for the digital age in which an ever increasing amount of data is being processed. The DPA has various exemptions that disapply a number of obligations on data controllers in certain circumstances, for example, the information required to be disclosed in connection with legal proceedings, crime and taxation. These exemptions do not oblige an organisation to disclose personal information. All data controllers, including public authorities, are required to comply with the DPA. Organisations that collect and use personal data must do so with an appropriate legal basis and apply exemptions to the rules on a case by case basis.

Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the data localisation restrictions on sensitive personal and biometric data in place in India and China; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce similar restrictions in the UK.

baroness barran: The Government considers that in the UK, data localisation should be limited to cases that are specific and well-justified.

Sales Promotions: Internet

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans, if any, they have to introduce further regulation in regard to the online promotion of products by celebrities.

baroness barran: Last year the government announced its intention to review how online advertising is regulated in the UK, looking at how well the current regime is equipped to tackle the challenges posed by developments in online advertising. The interim report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-lifts-the-lid-on-digital-giants. Currently, advertising in the UK is overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the industry’s independent regulator, which for online advertising enforces the Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) through a system of self-regulation. The CAP Code incorporates all relevant legislation, including consumer protection legislation, and sets standards for accuracy and honesty to which advertisers must adhere. This system operates independently of government. The remit of the ASA extends to the online promotion of products by celebrities, if the celebrity has been paid (including payment in kind) by an advertiser, and the advertiser exerts some form of editorial control over the resulting content. To guarantee compliance with the CAP Code in such cases, advertisers must ensure that endorsements are genuine, claims are accurate and advertising is clearly identified as such. The products themselves must also adhere to relevant regulation and standards. If the advertiser does not exert some form of editorial control over the resulting content, consumer protection legislation still applies and is enforced instead by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA works closely with the ASA in this area, and expects such content to clearly identify any commercial relationship and to have regard to the CAP Code. The Competition and Markets Authority recently investigated social media endorsements by influencers / celebrities to ensure that they were being clear to their followers, resulting in influencers / celebrities changing their practices. They also published a guide to help influencers and those working with them to understand how to comply with UK consumer protection law.